Rainfall in the Midwest saves, evacuates

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March 1

7, 2019, 2:03 AM GMT

According to Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. large vehicles on Saturday to rescue and evacuate residents in parts of the Midwest where a recent flood and snowmelt floods have been poured into the surrounding land, massive streams and rivers, and killing at least one person.

Scramble to move people the way the damage is expected to go down to the new week, as rivers and streams of flood eastern Nebraska and western Iowa are expected to crest Saturday and Sunday. That leaves the downstream officials wishing to prepare for the flood.

Travelers are taking over the overflowing Missouri River near Platteview, Nebraska on March 16, 2019, while the floods from the Missouri River contain highways and surrounding farms. Thousands of people are driven to evacuate the Nebraska rivers in the eastern part as a massive winter rain storm pushing streams and rivers from their banks across the Midwest. Nati Harnik / 19659010] Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, who has members of the emergency management team on Friday to review and update flood response plans, and Missouri Highway Patrol is preparing additional equipment and placing quick water rescue personnel at standby. The Missouri National Guard has temporarily moved the C-130s of the 139 Airlift Wing from the Rosecrans Air National Guard Base to St. Louis. Joseph as guardian.

The National Weather Service states that the Missouri River in St. Louis Joseph reached about 26 feet on Saturday, about one foot below what is considered a major flood in the northwest of the city of Missouri. But it is expected to snow on Wednesday or Thursday at 29.3 feet – more than two feet above the major flood levels.

Abandonment efforts in eastern Nebraska and several western Iowa areas were affected by reports of levee removals and bridges and roads, including parts of Nebraska Highway 92 , leading to and out of southwest Omaha. Authorities confirmed that the highway bridge across the Elkhorn River was washed out by Saturday. In Fremont, in western Omaha, Dodge County Sheriff's Office has provided mandatory evacuation for some residents after a flood erupted by a levee on the River Platte. And in Mills County, Iowa, authorities have ordered people in some rural areas to evacuate after the Missouri River beyond the levees.

Sen. Sasse, Sen. Gragert, and I visited Niobrara for their community meeting today at noon at the fire hall. There is an unpleasant ruin that sweeps everything from the Highway 12 bridge to the cafe. But the spirit of their community remains strong. pic.twitter.com/PXSZwZLFIb

Flooding followed snow and rain – record-setting days, in some areas – swept through the West and Midwest. The deluge has driven several waterways, including the Missouri River, to record levels in Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota. Farmer family James Wilke, 50, of Columbus, Nebraska, said he died on Thursday when a bridge collapsed as he used his tractor to try to reach the missing motorists on Thursday. His body was found beneath the stream, his cousin Paul Wilke told Columbus Telegram. Gass Haney Funeral Home confirmed the death of James Wilke.

At least two other people are missing in the Nebraska flood. Officials said a man in Norfolk was seen on top of his rising car late Thursday before being thrown out of the water and another man was torn by water when the dam collapsed on the Niobrara River.

Sarpy County officials, south of Omaha, said Saturday that power could be killed in communities along the rivers of Missouri, Platte and Elkhorn for safety reasons. They warned those who neglected to ignore the calls to evacuate the rescue will only try during the hours of daylight. Some cities and towns, such as North Bend on the banks of the Platte River, were sunk. Others, such as Waterloo and Fremont, are surrounded by floods, violating residents on virtual islands without access or not.

"There is no way out unless you have a helicopter – or a boat," the Rev. Mike Bitter, pastor of the Christian Church of Waterloo, told the Omaha World-Herald.

Iowa western and eastern Nebraska officials urge people not to drive unless required. In Iowa, a section of northbound Interstate 29 that operates a parallel to the Missouri River is closed due to flooding. Authorities are mulling motorists in Kansas City, Missouri, using a detour that took people about 140 miles (225 kilometers) out of the way.

The Rock River fled banks and flood Shore Drive on March 16, 2019, from the Bauer Parkway bridge in Machesney Park, Illinois. Many rivers and streams in the Midwest are at the record level after the days of snow and rain. Scott P. Yates / Rockford Register Star by AP

In the farther east, the Mississippi River detects a moderate flood in Illinois from Rock Island south Gladstone. Meteorologist Brian Pierce at the Quad Cities office of the National Weather Service in Davenport, Iowa, said that the Mississippi flooding could have been worse for several weeks as the snow melted further in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

"What we do today is training for the main event that will take place in early April," he said of the Mississippi flooding.

Rising waters along the rivers of Pecatonica and Rock flooded homes in northern Illinois cities of Freeport, Rockford and Machesney Park. The National Weather Service says that record crests are possible in rivers, with forecasts of water levels continuing to rise in the next few days and remain above the flood by most weekends.

Freeport resident Mary Martin told the Freeport Journal -Standard that he went to the store to get milk and bread when he saw flood waters rising Friday.

"Within an hour of going to the store, I can not go back. That's how fast the water will come," said Martin.